Manhunt for Fugitive Grandma Who Allegedly Murdered Victim Then Stole Her Identity

A nationwide search is underway for a fugitive grandmother accused of murdering two people in two different states.

Lois Riess, a 56-year-old mother of three adult children and at least one grandchild, is being dubbed a "stone-cold killer" by authorities following the shooting deaths of her husband, David, and a stranger she met in Florida named Pamela Hutchinson, according to NBC News.

"She smiles and looks like anyone's mother or grandmother," Lee County Undersheriff Carmine Marceno said. "And yet she's calculated, she's targeted and an absolute cold-blooded killer."

Reiss' killing spree, which has since sparked a nationwide manhunt, started after she fatally shot her husband in late March in Minnesota. She then went on the run across the country, eventually ending up in Fort Myers, in Lee County on Florida's Gulf Coast, where she befriended 59-year-old Pamela Hutchinson.

The two reportedly met at a bar, where they became friends, though authorities claim that Reiss had an ulterior motive – steal Hutchinson's identity before fleeing across state lines a second time.

"This stone-cold killer was smiling like anyone's mother or grandmother when she approached our victim," Marceno said. "This is the first time in my career that I've seen someone steal someone's identity and target them for the way they look, in order to murder them."

Hutchinson's body was discovered in a condo on April 9. She had been shot to death, presumably by the same gun that Reiss had used to fatally shoot her husband. Reiss took Hutchinson's credit cards and driver's license and stole her white Acura before she fled the scene. The vehicle has since been spotted in Louisiana and Texas.

"The Dodge County Sheriff's Office and Dodge County Attorney's Office are preparing second-degree murder charges against Lois Riess for the March 2018 murder of her husband, David Riess," the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension wrote in a Facebook post. "Investigators believe Pamela Hutchinson may have been killed with the same firearm used to murder David Riess."

Reiss, who has been dubbed as "Losing Streak Louis" by local authorities, is believed to be armed and dangerous, and it is believed that her killing spree may not be over.

"At some point in time (she) will have no resources," Marceno said. "And she will become more desperate and may kill again."

The US Marshals Service has since updated the case to a Major Case and is now offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to Reiss' arrest. Florida Crime Stoppers is also offering a reward of up to $1,000.